Big Joe is the owner of 145th Street's "Big Joe's Bar-B-Que". He is famous and popular in the neighborhood for being kind and helping anyone who is willing to ask. He would lend money not asking for it to be paid back.
Big Joe is first potrayed in "Big Joe's Funeral" where he plans his own funeral before he dies. Everybody likes the idea except for his girlfriend, Sadie, and her daughter,Peaches. Though they both don't like the idea, Peaches goes as far as trying to ruin it. Cassie, a woman who called on the cops to take away her husband who was beating on her, asks up front on Big Joe for money. He lends it to her so she could bail out her husband.
Big Joe is last potrayed in "Block Party-145th Street Style" where he is the cook for the food for the block party. He sees Squeezie hurt and follows her to where J.T.'s mother is. He helps J.T. and his mother from being homeless in the end.